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Located a little over an hour away from San Francisco in the town of Fairfield, the Jelly Belly factory produces millions of jelly beans a day. Free tours are given every 15 minutes and last...
Located a little over an hour away from San Francisco in the town of Fairfield, the Jelly Belly factory produces millions of jelly beans a day. Free tours are given every 15 minutes and last approximately 40 minutes. If the magic of the process is not enough to entice you to go, think about the free Jelly Bellies they give you at the end of the tour. But I’m getting ahead of myself… We watched as the whizzing machinery belted out trays filled with rainbow arrays of beans. Our tour guide Christine took us through the each step of the process, explaining how the centers were made, how they were coated, polished and stamped with the Jelly Belly name. The factory floor was filled with rows of cement mixer-looking steel pots, mechanical arms to move the trays, and floors dusted with sugar. Without giving away the trade secrets, we discovered that actual essences of the flavors being reproduced were used. These flavors were used in each step of the process, ensuring that the intense flavor was consistent throughout the entire jelly bean. The part of the process I thought was most important was the quality control. In one of the finals stages, the jelly beans were passed through a large cylinder with holes that matched what the right jelly bean shape should be. Those which were too large or just malformed would not pass through. These beans were branded as outcasts, named Belly Flops, and would never receive the Jelly Belly stamp.
After the tour, all I had on my one track mind was Belly Flops. They are perfectly good, minus the shapes and the lack of the stamp. But they sell at a deeply discounted rate. At the time, they had a sale for a 2 pound bag for $8 (a 50% discount). If you buy two, then the third bag is free. Okay, 6 pounds of Jelly Bellies sounds a bit overkill, but you can share with your friends. They also had a sample bar where you can try some of the Jelly Bellies if you aren’t sure if you will like them. Jalapeno sound intriguing, but don’t know if you want to commit yourself without knowing how they taste? Want to just see if buttered toast actually tastes like buttered toast? Want to know if juicy pear is really all that juicy? The sample bar- what a wonderful idea!
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Take advantage of any opportunity to witness the wealth of talent with which the company is blessed. You don’t have to be an admirer of the ballet to realize that you are watching some of the best...
Take advantage of any opportunity to witness the wealth of talent with which the company is blessed. You don’t have to be an admirer of the ballet to realize that you are watching some of the best dancers in the world. I was enthralled when watching Giselle. Their synchronicity, along with their raw ability, was mesmerizing. But the principal dancers Tina LeBlanc and Gonzalo Garcia, performing the lead parts of Giselle and Count Albrecht, are in a company all their own. They moved as if possessed- their bodies defy gravity. There was an energy and finesse that emanated from them with every movement.
San Francisco has so much to offer culturally: There is the symphony, the opera, a variety of plays and musicals from Broadway, and, of course, the ballet. If you’ve never been to a ballet, Giselle is a wonderful starting point. You may decide that it’s not your cup of tea. But I am pretty sure that you will come away impressed with the performance.
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The upper two floors are of the Asian Art Museum are reserved for the permanent collections. These collections showcase pieces from China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia and Bhutan to name a few...
The upper two floors are of the Asian Art Museum are reserved for the permanent collections. These collections showcase pieces from China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia and Bhutan to name a few countries. It baffles the mind to think that there are pieces that have dated back over 3000 years! That’s not a typo- that’s 3, followed by three zeros. The collection is quite extensive and may require one hour to a few days, depending on the rate you walk and how many times you get lost and end up backtracking. Perhaps we just saw too many buddhas and they all began to look the same, but the layout of the museum is not very straightforward and the little map of the museum comes in quite handy.
The Asian Art museum has something for the sinophile and/or for the art admirer. Go to be in awe of the works of contemporary Chinese sculptor Sui Jianguo. Or witness the former splendor and grandeur of an ancient kingdom of Thailand. Wander the halls of the permanent collections and see how the interpretations of what Buddha looks like changes depending on which region of Asia it is from. Contrast the different relics of various periods of the same country or compare the similarities among the various neighboring Asian countries and see how they influenced one another. Or go to buy a kitschy wind-up watch with a face that has Mao, waving to the masses (yes, his hand actually moves back and forth! Well, as look as it is not broken). Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 on Thursday after 5pm, or free every first Tuesday of the month.
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For decades, the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) has been wowing audiences the world over, evident in that the musicians and their esteemed musical director Michael Tilson Thomas (known to many simply...
For decades, the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) has been wowing audiences the world over, evident in that the musicians and their esteemed musical director Michael Tilson Thomas (known to many simply as MTT) are known internationally. This is a result of their exposure through the tons of CDs that have been recorded (both as a group and individually), appearances on TV, and their touring of large cities. SFS has kept its world-renowned status not only through the strength of their players, but also by striving to be at the forefront of new music. They do not simply stay with the tried and true; rather, they have the gumption to commission new pieces.
The symphony really is a wondrous sight and a marvel to hear. Tickets are quite steep, but if you are a student, there are a variety of options available. One option is student rush tickets. While these are not available for all performances, they are a great deal at 20 dollars a piece. Another option is to show up one hour before the performance. Seats behind the stage are available for 20 dollars, but seating is limited. Another option is to purchase a student subscription. I think it comes out to about 20 dollars a performance, but you can only buy it at the beginning of the school year.
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I had wanted to attend a performance of the San Francisco Opera since I moved up here. I had heard about this legendary Music Director Donald Runnicles and how SF Opera had gained national renown...
I had wanted to attend a performance of the San Francisco Opera since I moved up here. I had heard about this legendary Music Director Donald Runnicles and how SF Opera had gained national renown under him. But with the price of tickets starting at $25 for the nosebleed section in the back of the balcony and rising up to over $215 dollars for premium orchestra seats, I thought I would have to wait until after I became a pharmacist to see what the noise was all about. Fortunately, several of the performances have student rush tickets available for $15 the day of the concert. You must call or go to the box office the day of the performance to check availability and pick up tickets at least 30 minutes before show time. Though in semiformal attire, we felt like royalty as we found our seats on the orchestra level while older, better dressed patrons climbed their way to the balcony for the cheap seats. It was clear from the standing ovations that he had many fans among the audience, and after 3 hours of performances, it wasn’t hard to understand why those who could afford to shell out the big bucks did so.
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